Four Ex-Govs, Seven Women, 17 Others Make Tinubu’s Ministerial List
….Nigerians react
…Second Batch Out Soon, We May Create New Ministries – Gbaja
Former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and three other ex-governors made President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial list read on the floor of the Senate on Thursday afternoon.
The three other ex-governors, Dave Umahi (Ebonyi); Nasir El Rufai (Kaduna); Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa).
Presidential spokesman, Dele Alake; acting National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Kyari; Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Lateef Fagbemi; also made the list.
After a long wait by Nigerians, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, presented Tinubu’s ministerial list before the Senate.
Gbajabiamila, the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, presented the list to Senate President Godswill Akpabio at exactly 01:19 pm.
Akpabio said the list was dated July 27, 2023, and titled, ‘Request For Confirmation Of Ministerial-Nominees.
Akpabio said additional nominations would be sent to the Senate in due course. He thereafter read the ministerial list with 28 nominees.
Tinubu’s first set of nominations was overshadowed by politicians including ex-governors, serving and former members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Twenty-five per cent of the nominees are women while 75% are men. The women are Betta Edu, Doris Aniche Uzoka, Hannatu Musawa, Nkiru Onyeojiocha, Stella Okotete, Nkiru Onyeojiocha, Uju Kennedy Ohaneye and Iman Suleiman Ibrahim.
Many analysts had attributed the slow take-off of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to his late announcement of ministers. Buhari, who handed over to Tinubu after eight years, unveiled his cabinet six months after his inauguration in 2015.
However, Tinubu transmitted his ministerial list to the National Assembly a day before the expiration of his 60-day constitutional deadline of July 28, 2023.
The Fifth Amendment to the 1999 Constitution mandates the President to transmit the names of his ministerial nominees to the National Assembly within 60 days of assumption of office.
See the full list of Tinubu’s ministerial list:
1. Abubakar Momoh
2. Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar
3. Arch. Ahmed Dangiwa
4. Barr. Hannatu Musawa
5. Chief Uche Nnaji
6. Dr Betta Edu
7. Dr. Doris Aniche Uzoka
8. H.E. David Umahi
9. H.E. Nyesom Wike
10. H.E. Badaru Abubakar
11. H.E. Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai
12. Hon. Ekperipe Ekpo
13. Hon.Nkeiruka Onyejocha
14. Hon. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo
15. Hon. Stella Okotette
16. Hon. Uju Kennedy Ohaneye
17. Mr Bello Muhammad Goronyo
18. Mr Dele Alake
19. Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN
20. Mr Muhammad Idris
21. Mr Olawale Edun
22. Mr Waheed Adebayo Adelabu
23. Mrs Iman Suleiman Ibrahim
24. Professor Ali Pate
25. Professor Joseph Utsav
26. Senator Abubakar Kyari
27. Senator John Enoh
28. Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi
Below is a breakdown of the nominees according to the geopolitical zones:
North-East
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar – Bauchi
Ali Pate –Bauchi
Abubakar Kyari – Borno
Sani Abubakar Danladi – Taraba
North-West
Badaru Abubakar – Jigawa
Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai – Kaduna
Ahmed Dangiwa – Katsina
Hannatu Musawa – Katsina
Bello Muhammad Goronyo – Sokoto
North Central
Lateef Fagbemi – Kwara
Muhammad Idris – Niger
Iman Suleiman Ibrahim – Nasarawa
Joseph Utsev – Benue
South-West
Olubunmi Tunji Ojo – Ondo
Dele Alake – Ekiti
Olawale Edun – Ogun
Waheed Adebayo Adelabu – Oyo
South-South
Nyesom Wike – Rivers
Abubakar Momoh – Edo
Betta Edu – Cross River
Ekperikpe Ekpo – Akwa Ibom
Stella Okotette – Delta
John Enoh – Cross River
South-East
Uche Nnaji – Enugu
Doris Aniche Uzoka – Imo
David Umahi – Ebonyi
Nkeiruka Onyejocha – Abia
Uju Kennedy Ohaneye – Anambra
Meanwhile,the President Bola Tinubu’s administration may create new ministries from the existing ones, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, disclosed on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ministerial list was submitted to the National Assembly by Gbajabiamila and was read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
‘’Mr President intends to separate portfolios or restructure the ministries in such a way you might be hearing of new ministries that were not standalone ministries before. So the process continues.’’
He said that a second part comprising 13 names would be sent to the assembly, adding that this was part of the process of having a cabinet for the administration.
‘’As you know he had 60 days from time of inauguration, as stipulated in the constitution. He has fulfilled that requirement of the constitution by submitting 28 names today.
‘’As his letter stated, and was read on the floor of the Senate, the remaining names, not sure how many, probably about 12, maybe 13, will be forwarded to the Senate in the coming days.
‘’As far as the nominees themselves are concerned, and like I said, Mr President took his time to sift through those names,’’ he said.
The Chief of Staff said that the president decided to tow the line of tradition by not attaching the portfolio of the nominees in the letter to the senate in order to give room for reviews.
‘’As good as that sounds, it straitjackets the president to pigeonhole one person in an office or the other. What happens then if you change your mind, do you then bring the person back for screening again, because the president is at liberty to change your mind.”
‘’For instance, if I decide I want somebody as Minister of Labour, and then after sending the name, later on, I decide that this person would actually be better with another portfolio. And meanwhile, the Senate has screened that person for that particular initial portfolio?.
What happens then? Do you now re-screen the person? So, a lot of these things have their merits and demerits,’’ Gbajabiamila said.
